1st and only cdv of 2006 changed misdemeanor. will it prevent career as a cop

[Crystalrollison]

Hello men and women of law enforcement and all other members: ) I am desperate to know if all the studying and hard work that I have put into my major of criminal justice wont be enough to become a Police Officer because of a 2006 cdv. It was my first and last cdv charge and it was changed to a misdemeanor. I am so worried. I know it might not matter; yet if anyone is willing to read and interested, this is what happened: It was between my children's father and his girlfriend. She was yelling at them and he wasn't saying anything, then when I defended my children (with a couple of other words that I should had kept to myself), she lunged at me and hit me in the head. I didn't wont to hurt her but I had to use all my strength during the fight. I called 911, and because she had more marks on her face, compared to mine, and because I had to drop my children off at his home and it happened on their property. Thank you and GOD Bless: )

[Citicop]

If "CDV" stands for Criminal Domestic Violence, then I'm sorry to say you have no chance to be in law enforcement.

Federal Law prohibits anyone with a conviction for Domestic Violence from possessing a firearm. You cannot be a police officer with a restriction like that.

There are a ton of other careers out there, and there are a lot of ways you can serve, but I think a sworn Law Enforcement position is out of reach at this point.

-Citicop.

[Crystalrollison]

Thank you sooo much. I am heartbroken. I know and understand this and it makes complete since. So, even if it was turned into a misdemaenor, it doesn't matter and this is what I was really trying to figure out. Are there other feilds in L.E. that I could do. I really never liked the idea of using a gun: can I work in the law without this and find something within the system?

[Citicop]

There are a TON of other jobs...

Records Clerk, Court Clerk, Court Reporter, Lawyer (prosecutor or defense), Paralegal, forensic lab technician, victim advocate, academic jobs in Criminology, various Counseling type jobs.

You could branch out into Social Work, or a lot of other fields too and still help people out.

[greg72982]

Not sure how it's domestic violence when it's you and your ex's g/f. Wouldn't be here anyway.

[TEXASCOP]

Unfortunately, Here in Texas "domestic violence" is called "family violence" (I don't know why we have to be different). In Texas a Family member is discribed as pretty much anyone who lives in the house, it also includes former roomates or any person you have a dating relationship with or a previous dating relationship with (ex-girlfriend/boyfriend ex/wife husband. So if my college roomate from 9 years ago runs into me somewhere and sucker punches me he could be charged with family violence.

[retdetsgt]

In Oregon, it has to be members of the same household. What the OP described wouldn't be domestic violence here.

While I agree with the philosophy behind not hiring people with DV charges, the laws aren't uniform enough and some of the laws are a bit heavy handed IMO.

[CPL1897]

In FL it would be a similar charge, and unfortunatley its one of the few
misdemeanors that is an automatic DQ for LE, also you said you disnt like the idea of carrying a gun, thats understandable and with you having that thought or "feeling" alone I would tell you LE is not for you, its not neccesarily a bad thing, NO LEO goes ro work thinking " I want to draw my gun tonight" but it
comes with the job and as a LEO we know and are prepared to take another persons life if forced to... I cant tell you the number of LEO's I have seen resign after coming to the realization they may have to to do this...So, you CANT be a LEO because of the charge, and shouldnt because It doesnt sound as if it would be right for you.. As said though if your goal or "passion" is to help others or to e in a criminal justice field there are tons of options for you...Crime Scene Tech,Probation Officer,Dispatcher,Evidence Tech, thats just a few off the top of my head, your options are limitless when looking at the field amd what else you could do that does not require you to be a sworn LEO...

GOOD LUCK, and do a simple internet search you may be suprized...

[greg72982]

The OP hasn't returned but the state she is in would be important here...To me it seems kind of dumb that she couldn't carry, or even own, a gun for protection because of a fight with her ex's girlfriend.

I don't think the intent of DV laws is for a situation like this anyway. I'm glad that PA isn't a mandatory arrest state, contrary to what the citizens here think. It's funny though it makes it much easier to tell when they are just trying to get at someone which is majority of the time in my experience. When you tell them there is no requirement to arrest they all of the sudden don't seem so adamant.

[retdetsgt]

I don't mind the mandatory arrest, but in some places what's defined as DV is too broad. If a guy goes to his cousin's house to collect some money he's owed and they get in a fight, I don't think that's DV. The intent of the law was to protect people living in the same household from each other, not just someone you're related to. Especially when a conviction carries such a permanent impact on someone's life.

[ChesCopPodz]

Here it's any "intimate" relationship.

Which literally means that if a john gets ripped off after having sex with a prostitute, and smacks her, that would be domestic violence. That's BS in my opinion, and far outside the spirit of the law.

[retdetsgt]

Again, in Oregon it's people living in the same household, intimate relationship isn't an element. Two straight, same sex roommates who just share an apartment or house would qualify. The idea is that you should be able to feel safe in your own home from other people living there. I think that was the intent of the law, not a relative wandering off the street or God forbid, what ChesCopPodz said.

[greg72982]

The intent of the law was to protect people living in the same household from each other, not just someone you're related to. Especially when a conviction carries such a permanent impact on someone's life.

Agreed, which is why I like not having mandatory arrest. It allows a gray area where we can make the call based on our experience with the people, extent of injuries etc.

Here it's any "intimate" relationship.

Which literally means that if a john gets ripped off after having sex with a prostitute, and smacks her, that would be domestic violence. That's BS in my opinion, and far outside the spirit of the law.

That's taking it wayyyyy too far...

[marinepilot]

In FL it would be a similar charge,

CPL, I have to respectfully disagree. I do agree it would be a battery charge, but I don't think it fits the bill for Florida DV. Rereading the original post, it seems the fight was between the girlfriend of the father of her children and her. Unless they've lived together in the same household as a "family" at some time or another (which seems highly unlikely, although possible), it would just be simple battery. Where is the relationship between her baby-daddy's girlfriend and her? Had the fight been between HIM and the OP, then yes, DV applies all day long and twice on Sundays. But between the OP and the girlfriend, there was no relationship which, in my opinion, would have been articulable as DV.